What do people by learning or not learning music theory for guitar?

Question

I hear people saying that lots of musicians do not learn music theory to do well in band and rarely some people learn them. But when they say they don't learn music theory, do they mean they don't even practice scales or chords? I mean how do they know how to make solos then? How do they know the chords? I'm really confused about how to go about practicing guitar (I wanna make my own band song)

Answer 1

Learning Music Theory Guitar

Answer 2

Russell and Norm are correct.



You are learning music theory whether you want to or not just by learning how to play a guitar. If you have ever strung a sequence of chords together that sounded good, you utilized theory to do it. You just may not have done it consciously.



The truth is, any guitarist out there who makes a living doing it knows at least a little bit about theory, even if they think they don't. Slash is very open about the fact that he has little or no musical knowledge, but he's wrong. He knows quite a bit, he just doesn't KNOW he does. You can't improvise a solo like he does if you know nothing at all.



Music theory comes in 2 forms. The ability to DO it, and the ability to EXPLAIN it. I could explain to you exactly how all the major and minor chords relate to the major scale (they all do), but that doesn't necessarily mean I could run through all of that on a guitar without stopping to think about it occasionally. I know my stuff, but since I learned it all on my own it isn't as ingrained into my playing as it would be for a player who took lessons for years. I tend to play it first and figure out what I did later.

Answer 3

I'm confused too! I think the thing is that a lot of people that use this term "music theory" don't have any clear idea about what it means. A lot of people though see it as being separate to actually playing an instrument. When I learnt to play, I learnt what I guess a lot of people would call "music theory" (or the eapecially dumb ones, "guitar theory") as I learnt to actually play the guitar. I could have learnt a lot more "theory", just for the sake of it and, in hindsight, it probably would have made me a better player, but I didn't - I can't even read the notes on the bass clef).



Nowadays, there are kids wh don't actually learn anything about playing their instruments. They find tablature that tells them where to put their fingers for each note and manage to "play" bits of that. They can't play the guitar though - a while ago someone answered a question he and claimed not to be able to play a single chord, but thought they were a good player. Someone else who had been "learning" for a while was going to change their own strings for the first time and wanted us to tell them what notes the open strings were tuned to. I guess these people whould excuse their lack of knowledge by claiming not to know much "music theory". As your question implies, these things are just part of being able to play the guitar.



Norm and Russell have answered your question much better than I just did!

Answer 4

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Answer 5

What many call music theory is the formal, written set of "rules" of how music works, which, like written language, allows knowledge to be taught over time and distance - as opposed, in that comparison, to an "oral tradition", where it's literally passed on directly, person to person.



Playing music well does not require knowledge of formal music theory, but rather practical approaches to the music, which can then be partially explained by the formal approach. The "rest" of it, the dynamics, the expression, the soul that can capture the emotion and get it in the air, are not so easily explained.



Kinda like building a good garden shed or garage does not require a thorough grasp of engineering, material stress-loading, or even building codes. "Just" some ability, some basic tools, some commitment - and some serious time with someone who knows how to do it well, who in turn may have learned the same way. Then, two years later, a fully-trained builder arrives on the scene, but the job is already done.



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Answer 6

Hello there,



Thumbs up to Russell for a good answer.



I hear so and so guitarist never learned any music theory and yet became a great guitarist. That is usually spoken by someone who is trying to justify his own lack of knowledge of music theory. If you play very long and play moderately well, you are going to learn some theory. Maybe not as in depth as a music major, but you will have to learn some just the same.



Prime example is Jimi Hendrix. I hear folks saying that one of the greatest guitar players of all time never learned music theory. That is garbage. Anyone who saw Jimi play knows he had an amazing understanding of music theory. I did see him play. For instance, he knew more about chord inversions and how to use them effectively than any other player I ever saw. That my friends, is definitely music theory.



You don't just memorize chords and scales in the abstract. You have to understand them to know how to use them. Otherwise, you are dependent on tabs to play. Without the crutch of tabs (or chord diagrams), you are lost. If given a tonal center, you have no idea what to play. Scales are a road map. They tell you what notes you can play without hitting a sour note. But you have to understand how the modes relate to each other, you be able to transition from one to the next. Joe Satriani has some very good instruction videos on Youtube where he talks about scales and modes. Those are worth listening to.Listen to what he has to say and you will get a better idea how theory relates to playing.



Russell's projection about how long it takes is pretty darn accurate. I wrote songs early on. We played them and thought they were good. After a few years, I was embarrassed by those early efforts. I am guessing if you play long enough, you will experience that also. Enjoy your first songs. Then later when you have learned more and realize how crude the first songs were, remember we all went through it. No one writes great songs in the beginning.



Talk to you later,

Norm

If it matters, I stared playing in 1957. I still play about 4 hours a day. So I have put in thousands of hours playing.

Answer 7

Solos are USUALLY improvised based on scales. I didn't do music theory and I'm a great guitarist and saxophone player and ukulele player and singer. I know these scales and chords without music theory and I kind of thought myself through the interwebs. Also a guitar instructor helped me out.

Answer 8

Theory is not really about the scales themselves, except as a result of theory.

Theory is WHY music is the way it is and how things are formed.



But it is not necessary to know theory to be able to use it. You can know chords and scales without needing to know "why". Just that you can.



Of course we practice chords or scales. For years, before we are ready to actually perform in public well enough not to sound like an idiot.



To be able to write songs you need to know what chords go with what scale or key. Which, in a sense, IS a part of music theory. But it can also be learned by trial and error and years of practicing and knowing what sounds good without needing to know why it sounds good.



But every player needs to learn a buttload of chords, and at least 4 or 5 scale patterns and how to play them up and down the neck.



You will not be able to make a band song in a few months. (well, you could, but it will suck) It will take a few years at least to be able to play competently enough.

Answer 9

How long it takes to learn guitar depends on how good you want to get and how much practice you put in. How good you can get with 1-2 hours a day for a few months depends on what methods you use to practice. There are effective practice methods that will help you make the best use of your time. This course is one of the best. https://bitly.im/aOfm8 It's not just about how much you play but how effectively you play that will determine how good you will get.

Answer 10

online guitar classes with lots of substance designed for musicians of various skill levels. It's a good decision for newbies, and new guitar students will soon be handled to a comprehensive and rewarding learning experience.

Answer 11

wow all very good answers....indeed....

i will only add that even those guys that dont THINK they know theory....do to some degree....



once you figure out what things sound like,,,patterns,,,chords (especially chords) you begin to inderstand the scales...and the scales all tell you what makes a chord what it is....and how the melody works...





its a lot of fun....learn to enjoy the instrument....and the rest will be so much easier the absorb....peace...GL

Answer 12

Well

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Bye Bye

Answer 13

most theory is based on many renowned composers works,invention (when music was its first stage of getting actual written name .(watch how music works harmony ,melody ,rythm video youtube) .its more like a maths .but yeah human mind & imagination can pick that result to that math easily without going too deep & they are great real talented composers

Answer 14

Music is a language. Simple as that. We learned how to talk long before we learned to read and write. Learning to speak is fairly easy, we simply copy what we have heard, and learn how to use it for ourselves. Many "musicians" have this level of musical ability. They have learned much of the "dialogue" and can use what they have heard to carry on a musical "conversation" with other musicians. There are many pros who rely on this basic level of ability and it serves them well. They can "write" songs by simply writing the lyrics and the basic chords on top and remember the arrangements. This is like learning to speak and learning words and remembering the language.

However, If you truly wish to better understand "how" the language is created than you learn to read and write and the syntax and rules involved with language. This happens to us by going to school. We learn the rules of language and how to use them. This knowledge is not absolutely necessary to be able to "communicate" but it definitely gives us the ability to communicate much more effectively.

The same is true with music harmony and theory. By learning these basic concepts of musicianship we become better at conveying our musical ideas and exposed to a much wider range of "dialogues" and "vocabularies".

Make no mistake, all musicians do learn concepts of harmony and theory simply by using their ears and listening to music over and over. This "trains" our ears to recognize certain "phrases" and "vocabulary" which we copy and learn to use. Just like a child learns to speak. They might not have taken any formal lessons in music but they have learned the concepts of musical dialogue on a limited level.

You can go through life with a basic high school education and understanding of language just fine. But there is more to learn, a LOT more! Similarly you can function on a basic musical level with just a comprehension of major, minor, simple chord progressions, basic scales usage, etc. But if you truly wish to take your music, and ability, to a higher level you will want to learn more about the language of music, how it is constructed, how the various elements of it are used.

You can do this in a variety of ways such as taking lessons with a good qualified local instructor, taking classes in high school and college, etc. You do not need to pursue a degree in music from a university to gain a lot of useful knowledge. Simply opening your mind with lessons and some classes is a great way to vastly improve your knowledge. You have been learning to use the basic ideas of music and you will continue to gain a better understanding of it simply by using your ears and listening to what is going on. However, at some point you may wish to take it to a higher level and gain a deeper understanding of the how and why things are the way they are. Good luck my friend.

Answer 15

they do that by using absolut pitch. that pitch is the natural gift and if helps learning guitar without any theory knowledge. if you don't have that pitch, learn theory and fill up your empty blocks.